James T. (Tim) Shearin is chairman of Pullman & Comley LLC. He has wide-ranging experience in federal and state courts, at both the trial and appellate levels, and before arbitration and mediation boards. He represents clients in the areas of commercial and business, intellectual property, Internet piracy and computer crimes, banking, securities, antitrust, products liability and general civil litigation.

Shearin has lectured and written on the constitutionality of Connecticut’s Prejudgment Remedy Statute, the “ins and outs” of civil forfeitures, lender-liability law, federal discovery rules, implications of expert disclosure in federal court, limitations of technical advancements in the practice of law, rules and practices governing the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, the means by which to secure federal judgments, medical malpractice liability for HMOs, defense of covenant not to compete cases, Markman hearings, the federal jurisdiction of national banks, federal court practice and procedure, expert witnesses, settlement conferences and mediation in the federal court, case management, the art of written and oral advocacy and adhesion contracts. Shearin is also an American Arbitration Association-qualified arbitrator.

Barbara J. Collins '78: Distinguished Service Award

Barbara J. Collins is a solo practitioner in Hartford. Also a graduate of the NYS School of Industrial Relations at Cornell University, she has for over thirty-five years represented labor unions, individual employees and multi-employer pension and health and welfare trust funds in labor and employment matters. Since 2000 she also has been an arbitrator and mediator in the labor and employment area.

Collins is a former president of the Connecticut Bar Association along with being a member and former Chair of the CBA Executive Board of the Human Rights and Responsibility, and the Labor and Employment Sections. She was on the House of the Delegates for the CBA for over ten years, Chair of the CBA Human Rights Section and on the Executive Board of the CBA Workers' Compensation Section. In addition, she is a member of the Steering Committee and Chair of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (Central Connecticut Chapter), a joint labor and management organization which sponsors approximately five lectures a year on topics of interest to labor and management. She also is a member of the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association. From 2000 to 2012 she was an arbitrator for the State of Connecticut Board of Mediation and Arbitration representing the interests of labor. In 2012 she was appointed to the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations as one of three Board members.

Since 2000 Collins has served on the Board of Directors of The University of Connecticut School of Alumni Association, including one term as president. For the last 11 years she has been President of the Rockledge Women’s Golf Group in West Hartford and in October 2013 she began a two year term as President of the Southern New England Women’s Golf Association (SNEWGA). She also is a Professional Ski Instructor Association certified ski instructor and for over ten years ran the Weekend Children Ski Program at Ski Sundown, New Hartford, CT.

Harry D.Weller '79: Public Service Award

Harry Weller has worked for almost 30 years as an appellate prosecutor in the Office of The Chief State’s Attorney. In his career he has handled every type of criminal case, from marijuana possession to capital crimes.

Weller was the lead appellate attorney in Connecticut’s first death penalty case, State v. Michael Ross, and was again lead appellate attorney in his second full appeal until Ross’ execution on May 13, 2005. Weller has been either lead attorney or consultant on every capital case prosecuted in Connecticut since 1994. He also has handled many high-profile appeals for the state.

Weller has received many awards for his advocacy, including Prosecutor of the Year in 2005. He has lectured both state and local prosecutors on some of the more complicated issues they would face, especially in capital litigation. He also has taught legal research and writing at UConn Law School and for two years taught the Prosecutor’s Criminal Appellate Clinic at Quinnipiac University School of Law.

Weller and his family are members of Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford where he has served as the shul’s co-president and presently is vice-president, chair of the Ritual Committee and Gabbai rishon. He also serves on the Judaic Studies Committee of the Hebrew Academy from which both of his daughters graduated.

Presently, he lives in West Hartford with his wife Robyn, a teacher for 30 years in Granby Connecticut. His daughter Sarah, son-in-law Yossi and grandson Natan Gavriel live in Jerusalem. Sarah is a school teacher and Yossi a licensed Israeli tour guide. His younger daughter Elayna is a nurse that the Charter Oak Clinic in Hartford.

Photos from the 2013 Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner

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The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association, Inc. held its Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on October 29, 2013 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, where a packed house gathered to recognize the distinguished careers of this year’s honorees: Michael L. Aresco '76, the recipient of the Distinguished Graduate Award; former Law School Interim Dean Willajeanne F. McLean, who received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award; and Public Service Award recipient John A. Danaher, III '80.